


divide & conquer

by MotherKarizma



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Oneshot, Precious Peter Parker, Sick Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, literally just 600 words of tony being a Good Dad™, thats it thats the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:22:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22592467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MotherKarizma/pseuds/MotherKarizma
Summary: In the doorway, Tony sighed.“Shit. Pep? Make that two sick kids.”Pepper’s voice drifted down the hall over the faint sound of Morgan’s crying. “Oh, good.”
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 32
Kudos: 567





	divide & conquer

It was the middle of August, but when Peter woke to the dark of midnight, he was positive for a moment that the Stark lake house had somehow, inexplicably, frozen over.

He groaned and writhed, sheets below him damp with cold sweat, head _pounding_ –

The door opened; the light turned on. Peter hissed and turned squeezed-shut eyes into his pillow. An involuntary whimper fell from parted lips.

In the doorway, Tony sighed.

“Shit. Pep? Make that two sick kids.”

Pepper’s voice drifted down the hall over the faint sound of Morgan’s crying. “Oh, good.”

And Peter knew, honestly, that Morgan was little, that she needed her parents more than he needed them, that sixteen was plenty old enough to look after himself – but he still couldn’t help the rough, dry sobs he emitted. They happened without his permission. His mind was cloudy, fuzzy, his judgment impaired. Tony sat on the edge of the bed, swept sweaty bangs from Peter’s forehead with a cold hand, and clicked his tongue in sympathy.

“Mister Stark,” Peter said, whiny and slurred, before he could reason with himself. “Mister Stark, I don’t feel so good.”

“…thousand less traumatizing ways you could have said that, but I’ll take it.”

“Sorry.” Peter shivered, whimpered, pressed his face back into the pillow. “’M sorry.”

“ _Shhh_. What’s his temp, FRI?”

“One hundred and three point seven fahrenheit.”

“Fuck. How? Morgan’s barely breaking a hundred.”

“Doctor Banner has noted in Peter’s medical records that his healing factor may overreact to infections, similar to that of Captain Rogers.”

“Oh, you mean the man who ran the entire course of influenza in two hours but nearly gave us all heart attacks in the process? That’s comforting, FRI, thanks.”

“Anytime, boss.”

Peter forced his eyes open. Tony gazed down at him. For all the man’s wit and dry humor, his crow’s feet were creased with worry.

“Hey, Underoos,” he said softly. 

Tears sprang untoward to Peter’s eyes, and he blinked them back as he croaked, “I can go home.”

Tony frowned. “Kid, I’m not gonna make Happy take a three hour drive up here at one in the morning just to haul your ass back to Queens. If Bruce is right about your healing factor, you wouldn’t be sick by the time you got home, anyway.”

“Morgan needs you,” Peter said as another round of shivers wracked his body, trying not to let his decision be swayed by the way Tony tucked the comforter in tighter around him. “’M fine. I’ll be fine. Your daughter needs you.”

“So does my son.”

Peter wanted to continue his protest – even opened his mouth to do so, words stuck in his throat – but the tears that had been welling chose that exact moment to spill over, and all that came out of his mouth was a series of hitched breaths.

“I don’t feel good,” he cried. “I don’t feel good.”

Tony leaned forward and wrapped an arm around him, pulling Peter’s head to rest against his shoulder. His other hand (the metallic one, the post-Snap one, the one Peter still had yet to get used to and sometimes flinched at the sight of) brushed unfeeling fingers through sweat-matted curls.

“ _Shhh_ ,” Tony whispered. “I know you don’t, kid. I’ve got you. Pepper can take care of Morgan – divide and conquer, right?” The only response he received was that of several breathy sobs. “Hey, hey, _shhh_. I’m here, Pete. You’re okay.”

He felt the farthest thing from okay – but the last time Tony held him close and said _you’re alright_ , everything had, in the end, been alright.

Peter was inclined to believe him.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! if you'd like, you can find me on tumblr as motherkarizma. i'd love to follow some other mcu fanfic writers/readers!
> 
> please leave a comment and let me know what you thought!


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